Frilly Scarf

Looky what I made! As you may know, I haven’t learned to knit or crochet yet (although my first wonky attempt at crochet DID turn into a super-cute pillow!). However, on Thanksgiving weekend my daughter-in-law Tiffany showed me how to make this frilly scarf out of the Sashay yarn I won from Ginny’s spring giveaway. The lace is already part of the yarn, so all I had to do was crochet through the openings at the top . . . easy even for me! I found out that the back of the yarn wrapper has directions for this same scarf, but it was way better to see someone model the steps in person. Thank you, Ginny and Tiffany! ♥

Sewing World Magazine

I’ve always wanted to read a Sewing World magazine, so I was on cloud nine when offered the opportunity to do a review!  Editor Julie mailed the July edition all the way to Kansas from the UK, and after devouring every page, I give it a 10 out of 10!  And I was so excited to see this amazing bag designed by one of my favorite bloggers, Susan of Susie D Designs (with a pattern you can also get at Susan’s Etsy shop . . . and she’ll have a bag in the September issue, too!)  Since a picture is worth a thousand words, please browse the photos and my comments below and then click HERE to go to the Sewing World website for subscription information and lots of fun projects, patterns, and other goodies.  Thank you, Julie! ♥

Shout-Out x 3

1. INDIEGOGO: How cute are these T-shirts??? Please check out the fun-loving, talented Sheri (center) at her creative blog Awesomesauce and Asshattery (with lots of other info and links here), and then take a moment to watch the campaign video for her innovative Indiegogo business. Hats off to your newest venture, Sheri! ♥

2. LE TRANGO: My bloggy friend Christina of Le Trango is offering this FREE desktop wallpaper HERE and (fingers crossed!) may have new ones for each upcoming month! I just love her whimsical designs and Etsy shop . . . check out this post to read more about this talented artist and find all her links. Thank you, Christina! ♥

3. Design-Her-Gals: In March, I posted that Design-Her-Gals (the fun web site where I make my gravatar gal gift cards and writing business cards) was up for sale. Long story short, they closed, then they found a buyer, and now they’re open again! And, if you’ve visited before, you’ll find all your previous “gals” still in your “dressing room” ready to go! To use Design-Her-Gals, simply pick your “you,” dress and accessorize yer, and put her on business cards, mailing labels, notecards, aprons, mugs, caps, luggage tags, and more. They also have print-order and print-at-home options available. Even if you’re not in shopping mode, you can play on their site and get on their mailing list for special offers. Click here to read about the new owner, Dawn Espinoza. P.S. Some other bloggy friends who’ve created Design-Her-Gals are Doctorate Housewife, A Ponytail Kind of Day, and Boomdeeadda. I just love them all! ♥

 

Global Girlfriend Love

Have you discovered Global Girlfriend yet? Besides my friends’ shops, it’s my favorite shopping spot EVER! This fair-trade boutique sells handmade clothes, jewelry, handbags, accessories, bath and body products, and paper goods from all over the world, and the money goes to help craftswomen make a living to feed their families. They also have gift certificates, which the special girls in my family LOVE to get for their birthdays . . . even though it can literally take hours to decide which gorgeous items to spend them on!  Right now, in honor of Earth Day, Global Girlfriend is offering FREE SHIPPING for $25 U.S. orders (code: FREE25) and $50 international orders (code: FREE50). Please check them out if you get a chance . . . it will definitely brighten your day! They’re also on Facebook here  and my Shop Love! page here. P.S.  Below is one of my favorite GG purchases, a set of inspirational cards made from handmade paper. I love them so much that I’ve also displayed them on my office wall! ♥

Free Dress or Top Pattern!

While I’m on a roll with new wearable discoveries, I thought I’d add a link to a FREE pattern and tutorial I found while reading my April, 2013 Martha Stewart Living magazine.

Just click here for a design you can adapt for a dress, tunic, or blouse–long-sleeves or short.

I love the idea of a tunic with a belt!

Happy sewing! ♥

P.S. You still have two more days to enter the Origami Owl blogger locket giveaway!  The winner will be announced on Monday.  Can’t wait!

A Fun Find!

As you know from my Shop Love! posts and page, I’m all about supporting small businesses.

That hasn’t changed!

But . . . I found a “big” business item that I just have to share!

I bought these gorgeous scarves from the Kohl’s Cares Jennifer Lopez Collection for FIVE dollars . . . and ONE HUNDRED percent of the net proceeds goes to breast cancer research!

The collection includes other scarf designs, too, as well as t-shirts, pajamas, tote bags, jewelry, and other items . . . all priced at $5, $10, or $15.

Who doesn’t love fun and affordable accessories??? Oh, and if you haven’t already, please visit my other recent “accessory” post and sign up for the Origami Owl blogger locket giveaway! ♥

Pattern Love!

I now have two more pattern stores on my Shop Love! page!

(1) I can’t WAIT to make this Ailsa Large Market Bag pattern I bought from Susie D Designs! Susie also has patterns for many other tote bags, travel bags, diaper bags, hobo bags, shoulder bags, wallets, iPad and Kindle sleeves, and more, and her customer service is SUPER. Check out Susie’s blog here, her Etsy store here, and her Craftsy patten store here. Thank you, Susie!

(2) I won a pattern for this adorable Charlotte Skirt from Joanne at Stitch and Witter. Joanne’s blogging friends at Stitch Me Softly have recently created By Hand London, and I’m one of the lucky ones who gets to try one of their brand-new designs! Thank you Joanne . . . you’ll be seeing one of these skirts on Pillows A-La-Mode soon! ♥

No-Sew Spaghetti T-Shirt Scarf

My sweet daughter-in-law Christin is getting SO crafty! She made this beautiful blue no-sew spaghetti T-shirt scarf for me after seeing a how-to video on TV. I LOVE it! And, of course, I HAD to figure out how to make one myself! I found a tutorial on Margo Is Crafty that matched it perfectly, and believe it or not I finished it in TEN . . . yes TEN minutes! If you have old or extra T-shirts lying around, try this! And if you’ve already posted a tutorial for a T-shirt scarf, will you please comment with a link so I can add it below? I know there are lots of styles and techniques out there that will be fun to try. Thank you!  P.S. Christin used pinking shears to cut her strips to add extra texture, and I used my regular sewing shears. I love it both ways! ♥

Other T-Shirt Scarf Links:

• My Blessed Life
• My Purls of Wisdom
• Keeping It Easy and Simple
• Jordon Sweazea’s Blog
• 4 Little Fergusons
• Butterfly Kisses
• Creating Miranda
• The Bead Den
• A Ponytail Kind of Day

Confessions of a Refashionista

My blogging friend Sheri of Awesome Sauce and Asshattery was kind enough to send me a complimentary copy of her new book Confessions of a Refashionista: Life on the Zig Zag.  Sheri autographs the books AND includes an item to refashion to get you started! My gift was a beautiful thrifted scarf, which Sheri suggested making into a scarfigan (page 6), crisscross vest (page 63), infinity scarf (page 64), or even a new neckline or sleeves for a shirt (pages 44 and 58). How cool is THAT??? You can read all about her book (and see fun photos of Sheri!) in this post  . . . but here are some of my favorite parts:

• You can learn to refashion/redesign/embellish shirts, pants, shrugs, skirts, and flip-flops and make amazing accessories like ruffled flowers, scarves, wristlets, and bangle bracelets.
• You can learn to make a dress form from duct tape, sleeves from socks and aprons, a boho blouse from a vintage nightgown, a skirt from a tablecloth, and an amazing tunic from a BEDSHEET!
• Do you have neckties . . . doilies . . . dishtowels . . . lace? You’ll use them in amazing new ways!
• You’ll even learn to make an instant, no-sew skirt from a man’s shirt!

You can read a review of Sheri’s book at Designers Against AIDS (where Sheri donates a portion of each sale) and purchase Sheri’s book at Sew Much Fun or Dawanda. Oh, and Sheri has another store, too: Mensch T’s. And remember that you can find Sheri’s book anytime in my Shop Love! page above. THANK YOU, Sheri! ♥